Improvement in harvester-rakes



l `Aires RANK, or SALEM, omo.

IMPRQVVBMENT IN HARVESTER-RAKES.

.i Speet'catt'oajbrming part of Letters Patent No. 107 ,721,)clatedSeptember 27, 1870.

To all. w/mm tt may` cneem i Be it known that I, AMOS RANK, of Salem, inthe county of Columbiimaand State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Im*` provements in Harvester-Rakcs, of which the nl)tnaharvester, so much only of the machine being shown as is necessary toillustrate the invention claimed.

Figure l isa plan of the machine; Fig. 2, a

i view, in perspective-,of the raking mechan ism detached, with theswitch closed; Fig. 3, a similar view of the same, with the switch open;Fig. 1, a rear elevation of the same; Fig. 5, a side elevation ofthesame; Fig. 6, a plan oi' the cam, with a fixed switch; Fig 7, a plan-view of the movable switch detached.

The construction of the machine, forming no part ot' the subject-matterherein claimed, and being fully shown and described in my prior patents,need not be repeated in detail here. I shall, therefore, confine mydescription tothe parts necessary to the carrying out ofmy invention.

The drag-bar AV supports a shoe, B, and platform C, as usual. A frame orstandard, D, mounted on the shoe, supports a tubular shaft, E, on thetop of which aV cam, F, is secured. This cam is, by preference, a singleone, and made of the form shown in the drawing. Y

By a single cam, I mean a cam having a single track only forthefriction-rollers which guide the rake-arms, in contradistinction to adoublewalled cam, vor a cam having two "tracks, on or between which therollers run.

, A switch, G, ou the cam, oscillates horizontally on a pivot, g. Arock-shaft, H, turns in f bearings in the tubular shaft E and carries onits upper end acrank, Ii, pivoted to the switch i G. The lower end ofthe rock-shaft is operated by the driver, from his 'seat on the machine,

bya crank-arm and link, h', as described in my patent of November 2,1869, aforesaid, but Y may be operated in other well known ways. Alatch, I,`oscillates ou au inclined pivot, i, near the back edge of thecam. A stud-axle,

JJ, on the frame D,.carriesa bevel-pinion,j,4

which is driven by a chain and sprocket-wheel,

or other equivalent means, and in 'turn drives` y a crown-whee1 orbevel-gear, k, turning on the tubular shaft E. Arms L oscillate freely,in a vertical plane around their pivots, in lugs on the top of thiscrowlrwheel, in the usual way. These arms are bifurcated, and carrybeaters and rakes, as shown in my patent of' Novemthe switch, and thuscauses the rake to sweep the gavel from the plat-form.

As the roller moves backward, its inner face bears against the outeredge of the switch, and swings it backwardou its pivot until it abutsagainst a stop,f, on the cam. This is a valuable improvement, as by itthe switch is automatically closed by the rake-arm itself,

and I am thus enabled to dispense with a spring to retract the switch.As the roller escapes from the switch, the arm L strikes an incline orriser, M,which lifts the arm until its roller strikes the latch I, whichopens and allows the roller to pass upward to the inner side of the camon which it runs, until the switch is again opened.

It is obvious that the relation of the rakes and beaters might bechanged, and also that one or more of the rakes might be omitted, andyet the machine would still do good work.

By opening the switch every time it is closed by the passage of aroller, each rake in succession would discharge a gavel, thus producingau almost continuous swath.

I propose sometimes to use a fixed switch, N, ofthe form shown in Fig.6, to replace the movable one G, in crops where a continuous dischargeis desired, as by this means each rake will in turn sweep a gavel fromthe platform without any attentionl from the driver.

This capacity of modifying the frequency of the discharges-is importantin cutting oats, barley, and other crops which it is preferred to letlie on the stubble in aswath until cured.

l. The switch, constructed as described, to oscillate horizontally onits pivot, and with a flange, (j, to hold the rake down upon 'theplatform while sweeping the gavel therefrom, as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination of the single cam, coustructcd as described, with theswitch constructed as described, to oscillate horizontally on its pivot,to hold down the rake while sweeping the gavel from the platform, andautomatically to be closed by the direct action ofthe rake, ashereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination of the cam, the switch oscillating horizontally onits pivot, and automatically closed by the direct action of the rake,the crank-arm pivoted directly to the switch, and the rock-shaft, foropening the switch, passing through the axis of rotation of the raices.all these parts being constructed to operate in combination,substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination of the roller on the rakearm, the cam, and thehorizontally-moving oscillating switch, automatically closed by thedirect action of the rake while raking off its gavel, substantially asset forth.

5. The combination of the roller on the rakearm, the cam, the switchautomatically closed by the direct action of the rake, and the latch toreturn the rake to the upper side of the cam, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

. AMOS RANK.

Witnesses SAML. T. STREET, WrLLrs UADWALLADER.

